The Giants signed running back Matt Breida to pair with Saquon Barkley in the backfield. It is not a signing that will blow your hair back, but it is something that makes perfect sense for this new Giants offense.
Breida comes to New York from Buffalo, where he spent last season in Brian Daboll's offense. Although Breida did not get a lot of carries in a crowded backfield where they didn't run the ball as much, he should bring some familiarity to the running back room.
It's a smart move for this Giants staff to keep sprinkling in players who understand this offense and can help spread the message of the offensive philosophy for this team.
Strength: Speed
If there is one thing that Breida still brings to the table, that's speed. It does not matter how many injuries he's had, as they have not affected his speed.
In limited carriers last season in Buffalo, he averaged 4.8 yards per carry. That speed transfers into explosiveness through the hole, and that, in turn, leads to more broken arm tackles. Breida, per Pro Football Focus, has forced 56 missed tackles over his career, 48 of those in his first three seasons in the league when he received at least 100 carries.
He also has 29 career breakaway runs of 15+ yards. In both cases, these numbers dropped after he left San Francisco, but that resulted from him not having as many opportunities as he had in San Francisco, which is not necessarily a bad thing as it means his legs are still relatively fresh.
His speed going east to west makes defenses overcompensate to catch him, exposing the defense to cutbacks and big runs out the back door. It also means that normal 10-12 yard runs tend to turn into 30-yard gains because his speed eats up angles or forces defenders to adjust their angle, which gives up more yards.
Breida’s speed also sets up play-action and zone-read opportunities because defenders know they must react when Breida gets the ball. That means they might take a couple of bad steps that open them up to the quarterback reading those steps, adjusting and pulling the ball out, or throwing to a receiver headed in the opposite direction.
Weakness: Impatience and Nagging Injuries
Speed is a gift, but it can also be a curse. Overconfidence in speed can cause a back to abandon their track on a run play because they feel they can beat defenders outside. It can cause them to cut back too soon because they believe they can make it through a hole they see before it closes. Sometimes they are right, but other times, it costs them precious yards that would be gained if they trusted the scheme.
This happens to Breida at times. He will try to use his speed to solve every defensive puzzle. He has overrun holes or eliminated the cutback at times because he was fixated on using his speed to beat a defense.
There have also been times when he bounced outside too early and missed the hole he was supposed to hit. There have also been times when he would allow the hole to develop if he slowed his track down.
This is something that Saquon Barkley has become much better at, and the hope is that Breida continues to develop this skill.
Breida has also dealt with injuries over the years, and while they have not often forced him to miss significant time, they have diminished his performance.
Specifically, he has dealt with a lot of ankle injuries over the years, mostly during his time in San Francisco and other lower-body injuries. For a guy that relies on speed, lower body injuries can disrupt his effectiveness and devalue a player in the eyes of coaches and front offices.
That stigma has followed him around the league to his next couple stops, and now with the Giants, he will need to prove that he can be as reliable as Devontae Booker was while adding that extra dynamic of home run hitting speed.
Final Thoughts
Does Breida's signing mean the Giants won’t address the position in the draft? No, we wouldn't be, and we fully expect the Giants to add a back on Day 3 of the draft.
The move to add Breida also greatly improved the athleticism in the Giant's backfield. When you have a home run hitter like Barkley, and you pair him with another home run hitter like Breida, there is no reason for the defense to slack off against the run.
If the defense gives either back a lane, a rushing attempt could turn into six from anywhere on the field.
Overall, the signing of Breida might not be a sexy move, but we think it will yield big dividends for the Giants' offense this season.
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